{"id":64503,"date":"2021-04-29T03:37:11","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T03:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=64503"},"modified":"2021-04-29T05:02:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T05:02:19","slug":"from-1m-per-season-star-to-out-of-the-nrl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=64503","title":{"rendered":"From $1m per season star to out of the NRL"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ash Taylor should head to England and play in the Super League next season, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns<\/a> says.<\/p>\n

The $1 million per season playmaker is off-contract with the Gold Coast Titans and has failed to live up to his salary.<\/p>\n

Taylor is still just 26, yet Johns believes that he should try a change of scenery.<\/p>\n

"Go to the UK, I think. The game over there might suit him, a bit more open, a bit more attacking," Johns said on Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"Get over there and experience something different."<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/p>\n

Fellow rugby league great Fittler said that Taylor should cop a pay cut and stay at the Titans; as the playmaker himself has indicated that he wants to do, in an effort to repay the club and finally realise his potential.<\/p>\n

"I've got Ash, for his own sake, I've got him staying with the Titans," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

"I think because of their forward pack; he needs a good forward pack and they're a good, strong forward pack. I think for his own good, he should stay there. Sacrifice a bit of coin, see what you can do, big boy."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Johns and Fittler gave their thoughts on the future of a number of off-contract playmakers. Here are the others.<\/p>\n

ANTHONY MILFORD (Broncos)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Johns threw up the curious prospect of Milford, a disappointing $1 million per season signing for Brisbane, slashing his salary and playing for the Roosters; where he would be hard-pressed getting a game, with a likely Luke Keary-Sam Walker halves pairing for next season and James Tedesco at fullback.<\/p>\n

"Take a pay cut, realise your potential," Johns said.<\/p>\n

"I look at some of the players who have gone to the Roosters, someone like Drew Hutchison. [Milford has] a lot of potential but for whatever reason, didn't reach that potential. Different players around him, different environment, Trent Robinson as coach.<\/p>\n

"I'm sure they'll fit him under the salary cap!"<\/p>\n

Fittler suggested that he could return to Canberra, where he first shot to stardom. Again, Milford would have to fight hard for a position in a Raiders spine featuring Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jack Wighton and George Williams.<\/p>\n

"I've got him going home," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

"I think go home and there's a couple of positions he could play. I don't mind him as a fullback, he could play in the halves if he had to.<\/p>\n

"Without a doubt he's got to get fitter, fitness is always a key to Anthony. But I like watching him play."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SAM WALKER (Roosters)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The teenage halfback prodigy will be staying put with the Roosters, Johns and Fittler believe, after a brilliant start to his NRL career this season.<\/p>\n

"They've got a 300-gamer," Johns said.<\/p>\n

"He'll still be playing when he's 32, 33, 34. He's got another 14, 15 years playing. He is so good to watch."<\/p>\n

Fittler added: "Geez, he was good on the weekend [against the Dragons]. That try was unreal. He ran past a front-rower and I think a back-rower to score."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SCOTT DRINKWATER (Cowboys)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Fittler said that Drinkwater should perhaps move on after the Cowboys' curious decision to sign both Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden in the halves.<\/p>\n

"I found that odd, seriously," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

"I'd like to see him at Newcastle. He's a Central Coast boy. He's got Mitchell [Pearce], who's a very regimented halfback these days, sets the game up and just allows him to play.<\/p>\n

"Imagine him and [Kalyn] Ponga just buzzing around. He's a great player, Scott Drinkwater."<\/p>\n

Johns said that Drinkwater should stay put at the Cowboys and fight for a spot.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

BENJI MARSHALL (Rabbitohs)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Fittler suggested that Marshall might do a Darius Boyd and follow coach Wayne Bennett to wherever he works next season.<\/p>\n

Marshall, 36, is the NRL's oldest player and extended his career with a late phone call to Bennett in pre-season. He's since played strongly for the Rabbitohs, after being cast aside by Wests Tigers last year.<\/p>\n

"I've got him hanging with the oldest coach. Wayne seems to get the most out of him, I think Benji and Wayne are a really good partnership," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

"Benji should go [where Bennett goes]. Outside that, I think at the Broncos he'd fit pretty good."<\/p>\n

Johns believes that Marshall may stay put at Souths for another season, before which he would turn 37.<\/p>\n

"By all accounts Adam Reynolds is going elsewhere; I hope it's not true," Johns said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

AND WHAT ABOUT DALY CHERRY-EVANS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans is all of a sudden being touted to leave the Sea Eagles, to free up their salary cap. The Test halfback makes more than $1 million per season, claiming an agreed annual percentage of Manly's cap.<\/p>\n

As the current Queensland captain, he's been speculated about as a target for hapless Brisbane<\/a>. Fittler and Johns aired another rumour doing the rounds about DCE, amid the looming exit of Reynolds from the Rabbitohs.<\/p>\n

"There was a rumour he was going to Souths," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

Johns added: "I heard that rumour too, that he was going to Souths. He really enjoyed being coached by Wayne [Bennett]."<\/p>\n

Bennett and Cherry-Evans led Queensland to a shock State of Origin series win over NSW last season. Bennett will step down as South Sydney coach after this season, handing the reins to long-time deputy Jason Demetriou, but may stay involved with the club in some capacity.<\/p>\n

The Rabbitohs would have to undertake some roster renovation to fit Cherry-Evans into their salary cap, even if Manly agreed to pay some of his wage. They baulked at re-signing Reynolds for more than one season despite the 2014 premiership winner's lesser salary.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ash Taylor should head to England and play in the Super League next season, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns says. The $1 million per season […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64503"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=64503"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64505,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64503\/revisions\/64505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=64503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=64503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=64503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}